1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to steer roping practice apparatus and more particularly pertains to a new mechanical roping steer apparatus with enhanced stride simulation for providing a highly realistic reproduction of the structure and movement of the hind legs of a steer to enable highly effective roping practice without using a live steer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Team steer roping events of rodeos involve coordinated horse riding and steer roping by two persons who participate as a team. In this rodeo event, a steer is released from a confinement pen and runs out into the rodeo arena. One team member, known as the xe2x80x9cheaderxe2x80x9d, rides a horse to the left of and slightly behind the steer, and the other team member, known as the xe2x80x9cheelerxe2x80x9d, rides a horse to the right of and also slightly behind the running steer. As the steer runs, the header team member first ropes, or lassos, the horns of the steer and secures the end of the rope to the horn of the saddle of the header""s horse, and turns his or her horse to the left to cause the steer to also turn to the left and then pull the steer in the leftward direction. Once the steer has taken at least one stride after the turn, the heeler team member attempts to rope or lasso the hind legs of the steer so that the steer may be held by the ropes of the header and heeler. Since the team steer roping event is timed, the more quickly these steps can be executed, the more successful the team is likely to be in rodeo competition. Thus, practice of the header and heeler duties by the team members is highly desirable to prepare a team for actual competition. The movement of the steer""s hind legs makes the heeler""s duties more challenging than the header""s duties, and thus the heeler team member can be helped by practice, especially with conditions that are as close as possible to actual competition.
The existence and use of steer roping practice apparatus is known in the prior art. Generally, the use of some type of mechanical practice apparatus is highly desirable, as this avoids the need to gain regular access to a steer to practice on. Mechanical practice apparatus can also provide relatively more practice during a given time period, since a live steer needs to be captured after each run. Further, a mechanical apparatus does not tire after several runs as might a live steer.
Many of the known mechanical practice apparatus employ some structure that simulates the moving hind legs of a steer in an attempt to make the roping practice as realistic and challenging as possible. However, it is believed that the known apparatus have been lacking in sufficient realism of structure and movement that would produce the most valuable practice.
One drawback of some of the known apparatus is that the size of the apparatus has been too large, and the user is thus forced to practice roping horns or legs that are not positioned at a realistic height with respect to the ground, and with respect to the user riding on a horse.
Another drawback has been that while a live steer""s legs spend a significant portion of the stride on the surface of the ground, many if not all of the known apparatus employ leg structures that do not contact the ground devices during any portion of the stride. Since a proper roping of the hind legs of the steer typically involves the precise placement of the loop of rope on the ground forward of the hind legs so that the hind legs step into the loop and thus snag the loop, success at roping the legs of the known practice apparatus"" does not necessarily translate to success on live steers because techniques that work on the elevated hind legs of the practice apparatus may not work on the hind legs of the steer which will contact the ground.
Yet another drawback of at least some of the known apparatus"" is the inaccuracy of the length and speed of the stride of the legs of the apparatus, since the heeler""s throw should be timed to the stride of the steer for the greatest likelihood of success, and thus the ability of the heeler to practice on an apparatus having a realistic stride is highly desirable and important.
In these respects, the mechanical roping steer apparatus with enhanced stride simulation according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a highly realistic reproduction of the structure and movement of the hind legs of a steer to enable highly effective roping practice without using a live steer.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of steer roping practice apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new mechanical roping steer apparatus with enhanced stride simulation construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing a highly realistic reproduction of the structure and movement of the hind legs of a steer to enable highly effective roping practice without using a live steer.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a forward support assembly for resting on a ground surface. The support assembly has a front and a rear. A rearward steer assembly is located rearwardly of the support assembly and is mounted on the rear of the support assembly. The steer assembly comprises a leg assembly including a pair of leg members being pivotable with respect to the ground surface and an actuation mechanism for pivoting the leg members when the support assembly is moved across the ground surface.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.